1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector, a set of connectors and connecting a method.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,390 discloses a lever-type connector with male and female housings. A lever is mounted rotatably on the female housing and has a cam groove that is engageable with a cam pin on the male housing. The lever initially is held at a starting position and the male housing is positioned so that the cam pin faces the entrance of the cam groove. The lever then is rotated to move the cam pin along the cam groove. As a result, the housings are pulled toward and connected with each other. Thus, the connector takes advantage of the leverage action of the lever and connects the housings with a smaller force.
Some of lever-type connectors have an erroneous connection preventing means for preventing connection of the female and male housings in a wrong combination. The erroneous connection preventing means includes a rib extending in a connecting direction on one housing and a groove on the mating housing for receiving the rib. The positions of the rib and the groove differ for each pair of housings so that the male and female housings can be connected only in a correct combination. The rib is displaced from the groove if an attempt is made to connect the male and female housings in a wrong combination. Thus, the rib contacts an end surface of the mating housing to prevent the connection.
A cam pin that is at the entrance to the cam groove may interfere with an edge of the cam groove and may damage the lever if an operator tries to turn the lever in a state where connection of the housings is prevented.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to provide prevent a connector from being damaged upon erroneously connecting a male and a female connector housings.